I Became a Raid Boss

Catherine often dreamt of that day.

The day the makeshift barricades fell, and monsters flooded into her peaceful village.

The small but warm house, the garden she helped her parents tend, the kind lady’s house who treated her well.

All trampled mercilessly beneath the monsters’ feet.

Catherine’s hometown, much smaller than Blum Village, vanished just like that.

As she ran away, holding her parents’ hands through the rugged mountain path, she vowed.

To become strong enough so that nothing like this would ever happen again.

After that day, she took up the sword.

Training silently with no one to teach her, days spent fighting against monsters.

“Congratulations, Catherine. You have been promoted to Silver Mercenary.”

Catherine succeeded in earning her silver badge with her own strength.

Silver badge.

The mark of being recognized as a proper mercenary.

The day she received the silver badge from Liberi, Catherine shed tears.

She didn’t even know what emotions were in those tears, but as she wiped them away, she felt it.

That she was one step closer to her promise of the past.

‘…Ah.’

That’s what she thought.

Before the approaching ogre horde, Catherine realized.

She had mistakenly thought she had become strong after receiving the silver badge, but she was still just the mountain village girl who ran holding her parents’ hands.

But there was one thing that was different now.

Unlike the mountain village where no one was around to help, now she could ask for help.

So, Catherine asked Joanie.

To please save this village… save other Cathrines.

The kind apostle Edel accepted her request, and everything seemed to go smoothly.

At least until they learned about the number of ogres approaching the village.

“W-What, ten of them?!”

Those who felt relieved to be alive now sought a way to escape in fear.

Standing in the chaotic square, Catherine bitterly reflected.

‘In the end, I couldn’t do anything again.’

She had run so hard to prepare for moments like this, but it was all for nothing.

As despair overcame her, Joanie suddenly came into view.

Grabbing the girl who had come with her and speaking urgently.

Catherine knew that the girl was stronger than anyone present.

But even if the girl was strong, she couldn’t fight the ogres.

No matter how excellent her swordsmanship was, the size difference between her and the ogres was like heaven and earth.

“Step aside.”

Hearing Joanie’s words, the girl drew her sword and stepped forward.

Taking steps toward the village.

‘Surely, she’s not planning to fight?’

Catherine found herself widening her eyes at the sight.

“Don’t do it…!”

Though she hoped someone would help, she didn’t want such a small girl to lose her life in vain.

Just as she was about to rush to stop the girl—

Rustle.

The girl tossed aside her cape as if it were a hindrance, and in the moonlight, Catherine gasped.

The face hidden beneath the cape was younger and cuter than she had imagined.

So adorably innocent that she seemed incapable of squashing a single bug.

That girl, was she going to fight an ogre?

The moment snapped Catherine back to reality, and she reached out toward the girl.

“…Huh?”

Catherine’s arm sliced through the air.

…She had been right there just a moment ago.

The girl’s figure had vanished without a trace.

Catherine wasn’t the only one shocked.

Everyone watching the girl suddenly disappear couldn’t hide their bewilderment.

“Is she… a magician?!”

“That tiny child is a magician?”

“So you mean to say everyone saw a mirage at the same time?”

“Not like that—… Whoa?!”

Whoooooosh!

A wind swept in suddenly, hitting the people hard.

Catherine struggled to maintain her balance as even fully-grown men staggered in the powerful gust.

The fierce wind that came abruptly.

The direction of that wind was toward the village outskirts.

The girl hadn’t vanished.

It only appeared that way to Catherine’s eyes, and the eyes of the others.

Realizing that fact, Catherine asked with a trembling voice.

“…What exactly is going on?”

Joanie answered with a weak smile.

“She’s just my sister.”

“….”

What could she say?

Catherine bit her lip, lowering her head.

“…Thank you for indulging my stubbornness.”

“It’s not something I should be thanked for. Please thank Kana when she returns.”

“…Yeah. I will.”

The doubts she had felt just moments ago had long since faded away.

“I will definitely do that.”

Someone who has mastered swords and mana cannot possibly lose to mere ogres.

*

“W-Wait, she’s not actually going to fight the ogres, is she? If that’s the case…”

“If that’s the case, are we going to save her? There’s not just one ogre, there are ten coming!”

“Isn’t it embarrassing for such a small girl to step up and offer help?”

“No one asked for help, so it’s her mistake for stepping up!”

‘…’

Joanie quietly watched as people argued.

It was understandable to say they should help or to propose running away.

But instead of thanks, blaming her was…

“That’s a bit much.”

– Adult, I’m sorry…

– Should we take her out?

– Ugh, that’s gross! Haha!

The spectators felt the same way, and Joanie’s chat window flared up.

One player, watching with a shocked expression, spoke up.

“We should probably go help, right?”

“Do you think we’d even be of any help if we went?”

“…Maybe?”

“Maybe it’s already over…”

Even if ogre hides are tough, could they be tougher than the ground they stand on?

I can’t imagine those ogres surviving attacks that split the ground.

Besides, even the Empire’s elite knights, who were certainly stronger than ogres, were wiped out in an instant.

So Joanie agreed with the idea that they wouldn’t be of any help if they went.

“I’m going.”

But that didn’t mean she wouldn’t go.

“I might not be much help, but I can go meet her. So I will—”

Suddenly, Joanie stopped speaking.

It wasn’t only her; the villagers arguing, the merchants hurriedly loading their belongings, even the mercenaries nervously fixing their grips on their weapons.

Everyone froze.

────!

A resonance that felt like it struck not the body but the soul.

A heavy, intense vibration felt even by those who couldn’t handle mana.

Joanie turned her head.

Toward the mountain Kana had been watching earlier.

“What…is that?!”

*

“…Uck!”

Boom!

She dodged the incoming jade-green paw that was flying toward her head and retreated.

If she had been hit by that, it wouldn’t just crush her head; she’d be nothing but mush.

Personally, I’m not one to dislike small animals like dogs or cats, but why is it that they don’t seem to love me back?

Just like the first day I met Garid, and even now.

“Right?”

“…”

“How heartless.”

The creature replied with a harsh snort.

Was it unable to speak, or did it just not want to have a conversation?

Either way, I knew exactly what to do.

“Huuh…”

I exhaled deeply and adjusted my grip on the sword.

Before me was the giant mountain that connected to the ridge behind the village, sitting between Ordo and the village.

The puppy in front of me was the creature that had emerged from the peak of that mountain.

If one could call a dimension beast, which was as big as a castle wall, a puppy, sure.

In reality, it didn’t look much like a puppy.

If anything, it resembled a wolf more, but wolves don’t have six legs, two heads, or a mouth on their body.

Anyhow, dimension beasts are all oddly shaped.

“Is there a requirement to be ugly if one wants to join the dimension beasts?”

“Grrrr…”

“Forget I said anything.”

I asked out of sheer curiosity, but that was harsh.

Maybe I should stop joking around for now.

I treated this dimension beast lightly, but this wolf…

Hmm… I don’t feel like calling it a dimension beast each time, so let’s just call it a wolf.

Anyway, this wolf seemed to be strong enough, so I should focus a little.

I didn’t feel like I would lose, but it might give me rabies if it bit me…

“Having six legs means one can do without one, right?”

Slash!

The pink sword energy ripped through the air.

The wolf dodged the vertical slice and leaped to the side.

To begin with, the sword energy was a feint.

I had already arrived at the spot where the wolf would dodge, preparing for the next attack.

Canaria-style—

I still hadn’t completely shaken off my feelings about my name.

No matter how nice it sounds, how could I only accept it positively knowing what my parents were thinking when they named me ‘Canaria’?

But still, the reason I named my sword technique after myself is…

“Beak Peck.”

Why? Because of Garid.

I rushed toward the wolf that hadn’t even landed yet.

Body accelerating in an instant, shooting out a pink flash.

Once, and then twice.

The two thrusts flew in simultaneously like greedily pecking birds, targeting the wolf’s legs.

Squeak!

Kaboom!

The two precise strikes blasted through the wolf’s leg, as if tearing through paper.

The severed piece of the leg fell to the ground, while the wolf opened its mouth wide, howling in pain.

“Yip!”

“What? Was it really a dog?”

Yip is not the kind of sound that fits a wolf at all.

I spun my sword around, readied it again to slash, and followed up the attack.

With my right foot firmly planted, I twisted my waist with all my might.

The power starting from my leg transferred through my waist and arm, and finally to the sword.

It’s a technique I once taught Joanie.

Though calling it a technique is just a fancy way of saying it’s how to swing hard.

“Grrr!”

Unfortunately, the wolf’s recovery was incredibly fast, even with its leg halved.

I had intended to get it back to its original leg count, but it leaped back, swiping its claws at me, returning my attack null and void.

If it were a person, losing an arm or leg like that would make them panic.

It’s such a hassle dealing with things that aren’t human.

Monsters, and creatures, or snake brats…

The wolf didn’t charge recklessly but eyed me from a distance.

It seemed wary of me but didn’t think it would lose.

Yet the thing that irritated me even more was something else.

“Listen, I really dislike tall beings.”

It was just a bit taller, but acted like it was something special by looking down at me.

So first, I’ll take its legs.

Let’s see if it can look down at me while crawling on the ground without its legs.

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